Air-sealing apparatus for steam-power plants



Jan. 15, 1929. 1,698,947

c. A. FRENCH ET Ax.

AIR SEALING APPARATUS FOR STEAM POWER PLANTS Filed Nov. 25. 1924 Snowdon attenua,

Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED, STATES 1,698,947 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. FRENCH AND RUSSELL R. WATERMAN, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, AS- SIGNORS TO FARMERS NATIONAL BANK, TRUSTEE, OF GREENVILLE, OHIO, A COR- PORATION OF OHIO.

AIR-SEALING APPARATUS FOR STEAM-POWER PLANTS.

Application iled November 25, 1924. Serial No. 752,150.

Our invention r'elates to a water seal apparatus and the general object thereof is to provide a simple and etlicient water seal for automatically preventing air from entering the intake of a ump, such as used in automotive power p ants, and which will force said pump to operate no matter how milch air there may be therein.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter our invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to thelaccompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon, which form a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation ofa water seal embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a modified form of water seal valve.

Like characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring in detail to the drawing the numeral 1 designates a condenser of an automotive power plant; 2' a condenser pump which may be a gear pump; 3 a pressure chamber; and 4 an automatic water seal valve.

A pipe 5 leads from the bottom of the condenser to the inlet 6 of pump 2 and a pipe 7 leads from the outlet 8 of'the pump into the bottom of the pressure chamber 3, said outlet being 'controlled by a check valve J to prevent water from backing into the pump from the pressure chamber. The pump is constructed with a by-pass l() controlled by a check valve 11, the by-pass being connected at one end by a pipe 12 to the pressure chamber 3 at a point about half its height, and connected at its other end by a pipe 13 to the pipe 5, whereby excessive air pressure above the water level in the chamber 3 may be relieved. A drain pipe 14 controlled by a valve 15 leads from the bottom of the chamber 3.

The water seal valve 4 comprises a valve chamber 16, provided with an outlet 17 and formed with a valve seat 18, a valve closure member 19, and a pressure actuated bellows member 20, somtimes known as a sylphom mounted in the Aupper part of said chamber and connected at its lower end toA the valve stem 21 which member 2O normally holds the valve closure member on its seat 18. A pipe 22 leads from the bottom of the pressurev chamber 3 into the bottom of the valve chamber 16. A pipe 23 leads from the outlet 17 of the valve-chamber 16 to the intake of the pump (not shown) which pumps water in the boiler of the automotive power plant.

The water condensed in the condenser 1 from the exhaust steam introduced thereinto, falls to the bottom of the condenser and flows therefrom, preferably by gravity through pipe 5 into the condenser pump 2. The water is forced by said pump past the valve 9 through outlet 8 and pipe 7 into the bottom of the pressure chamber 3 and through pipe 22 into the water seal valve chamber 16 until sufficient 1pressure aecumulates in both of said cham ers to cause the bellows member 20 to lift the valve closure member 19 off its seat and admit water through pipe 23 to the automotive boiler feed pump (not shown). As soon as the pressure in the water seal valve chamber 16 and pressure chamber 3 is reduced to the point Where itis overcome by the bellows spring 24 the valve 19 is closed by the bellows member 20 so that air cannot be drawn to the automotive boiler feed pump.

The boiler feed pump is operated at constant speed and is of a capacity considerably more than large enough to handle the greatest quantity of water that can ever come to itfrom the condenser 1 in the normal operation of the plant. This is done to compensate for ineliciencies due to wear, leakage, valves or plungers etc. As there is a possibility that at times the condenser pump might be able to supply water to the boiler feed pump in excess of its capacity to pump it into the boiler and thereby cause an excessive pressure in the pressure chamber, such excessive pressure will open the valve 11 and return through the condenser bypass 10 to the condenser' discharge pipe 5.

As the boiler feed pump is overisze and operated at constant speed, in the normal operation of the plant there is never enough water coming to it from the condenser to permit-it to work at full capacity continuously; therefore, the water seal is employed to furnish water to the feed pump under sufficient pressure to overcome the intake valves thereof in case the pumps should receive air from any other source. We have found, thatwith clean water the pressure in the boiler feed pump intake pipe 23 may never rise above twenty inches of vacuum, while if there is considerable air in the water, due to foaming from any cause, the pressure may rise to one hundred pounds gauge pressure or more, in any eventl to a igh enough pressure to cause the boiler feed pump to operate.v

In the modification vshown in Fig. 2 a diaphragm needle valve 25 is substituted for the valve 4. The valve 25 comprises a valve casing 26 provided with a restricted out-let 27 and connected to the pipe 22, a needle closure member '23, a diaphragm 28 secured in said easing, to which diaphragm the needleclosure member 23 is secured, a spring 29 bearing at its lower end uponsaid diaphragm, and a set screw 30 seated in the upper end of the casing 26 and bearing against the upper end of said spring for adjusting the tension of the spring and the diaphragm 28 for normally holding the needlemember 23 on its seat 31 in the inner end of the outlet 27 thus closing the valve. The outlet 27 is connected to the pipe 23 leading to the boiler feed pump.

Under suthcient pressure in the pressure chamber 3 and the valve chamber 16, the diaphragm 28 and needle 2l are raised and the Valve thereby opened to admit water through the outlet 27 and pipe 23 to the boiler feed pump.

Though we have shown and described a particularl construction, combination and arrangement of parts and ortions, we do not wish to be limited to tiis particular construction, and a certain modification thereof, combination and arrangement, nor to the modification, but desire to include in the scope of our invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims. Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a water and air pressure chamber, means for forcing water to said pressure chamber, a pump feed pipe, and a pressure controlled water seal valve interposed between said pressure .chamber and said pump feed pipe.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a water and air pressure chamber, means for forcing water into said pressure chamber pump feed pipe, and a diaphragm operated needle water seal valve interposed between said pressure chamber and said pump feed pipe.

3. In an apparatus of the class described,

in combination, a water and air pressure chamber, a condenser pump for feeding' water to said chamber, a' boiler feed pipe, said condenser pump being constructed with a bypass connecting the pressure chamber above the water level thereof and the condenser pump intake, a check valve in said bypass adapted to open under excessive pressure in said pressure chamber to relieve the the chamber of the excessive air pressure and conduct it to the pump intake, and a water seal valve interposed between said pressure chamber and said pump feed pipe.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a Water and air pressure chamber, a condenser, a condenser pump interposed between said condenser and said pressure chamber for feeding water from said condenser to said pressure chamber, a boiler pump feed pipe, and a pressure controlled water seal valve interposed between said pressure chamber and said pump feed pipe.

5. In an automotive power plant, the combination with the boiler feed pump and the condenser of said plant, of an air and water pressure chamber, ,a condenser pump for pumping water from said condenser to said pressure chamber, inlet and outlet means for said pump, a bypass from said air and water pressure chamber to said pump inlet means, a check valve in said bypass, and a water seal valve interposed between said pressure chamber and said boiler feed pump.

6. In an automotive power plant, the combinationwith the boiler feed pump and the condenser of said plant, of an air and water pressure chamber, a condenser pump for pumping water from said condenser to said pressure chamber, inlet and outlet means for said pump, a bypass from said air land water pressure chamber to said pump inlet means, a check valve in said bypass, and another bypass connecting the outlet of said pump with said bypass between said cheek valve and said pressure chamber.

7. In an automotive power plant, the combination with the boilerfeed pump and the condenser of said plant, of an air and water pressure chamber, a condenser pump for pumping water from said condenser to said ressure chamber, inlet and outlet means or said pump, a bypass from said air and water pressure cham )er to said pump inlet means, a check valve in said bypass, another bypass connecting the outlet of said pump with said bypass between said check valve and said pressure chamber, and a water seal valve interposed between said pressure chamber and said boiler feed pump 8. In an automotive power plant, the combination of a boiler feed pump conductor, a condenser, an air and water pressure chamber interposed between said conductor and said condenser, a condenser pump interposed llO between said condenser and said air and Water pressure chamber provided with inlet y another bypass connecting with the outlet of said pump and with said vfirst mentioned bypass, and a pressure controlled water seal valve interposed between said air and Water pressure chamber and said boiler, said pumpy 10 conductor being below the Water level in said air and water pressure chamber.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto set our hands at Los Angeles, California, this 13th day of November 1924.

CHARLES A. FRENCH. RUSSELL R. WATERMAN. y 

